{{short description|Historic church in Washington, United States}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Use American English|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox NRHP | name = Claquato Church | nrhp_type = | designated_other1 = | designated_other1_name = Washington State Heritage Register | designated_other1_abbr = WSHR | designated_other1_color = #FADA5E | designated_other1_link = | image = Claquato Church 2012.JPG | alt = | caption = Claquato Church, 2012 | locmapin = Washington | map_label = Claquato Church | map_alt = | map_caption = | coordinates = {{coord|46|38|33|N|123|1|18|W|display=inline,title}} | location = 125 Water Street, Chehalis, Washington | area = {{convert|0.37|acre|ha}} | built = 1858 | architect = John Duff Clinger | architecture = | restored = 1953 | restored_by = American Legion | added = April 24, 1973 | designated_nrhp_type = | designated_other1_date = January 16, 1973 | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | refnum = 73001882<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref> | website = [https://www.chehalisumc.org/our-story Chehalis United Methodist Church] | mpsub = }}
'''Claquato Church''' is a historic Methodist church located in the former community of Claquato, Washington. The structure is recognized as the oldest standing church building in the state of Washington and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Originally meant as a Presbyterian house of worship when construction began in 1857, the church was dedicated in 1858 under Methodist ministry. The church was built by local residents, and without debt, on land donated by the Davis family, founders of the town of Claquato, the original county seat of Lewis County, Washington. The building was also used as a schoolhouse in its first years, known as the Claquato Academy.
The church began to wane after 1874 when the county government shifted to nearby Chehalis. Religious functions ceased and the building fell into disrepair. Two major renovations, in 1929 and 1953, helped restore the church however the structure remained closed except for special occasions. The county officially took over ownership of the site in 1948. In July 2025, the Lewis County board of commissioners placed the church up for sale. Deeming the building and property to be of "no value", the county cited high costs of maintenance, as well as additional financial concerns stemming from a backlog of repairs, in its determination to sell the landmark.
The small, {{convert|600|sqft|m2|adj=on}} rectangular church is noted for its two-tiered steeple topped with a wooden crown of thorns. A bronze bell, manufactured for the church in 1857, remains in the bell tower. The sanctuary takes up most of the interior space which contains original wooden pews. Situated on the grounds are several markers and plaques denoting key historical events either to the church or the community. The Claquato Cemetery, a separate entity, is located north of the church.
==History==
===Beginning of Claquato Church=== The founder of Claquato, Lewis Davis, first began Presbyterian services{{efn|In describing the early religious denomination of the Claquato Church, sources fluctuate between Presbyterian or Protestant. See sources throughout the article for the differences.}} in his log cabin home after he built the dwelling in 1853. Davis, along with his wife, Susan, donated land{{r|PCVCC}}{{efn|The two-lot parcel was officially donated by land deed on May 7, 1859.{{r|RASSA}}}} for a new church and construction commenced in 1857, meant originally to be of use as a Presbyterian house of worship. As Davis understood the Methodist congregation to be a much larger contingent of the area's population, the chapel was allowed to be consecrated the following year under the Methodist church with a promise that the chapel was to be open to all denominations.<ref name="APIH">{{cite news |last1=Hall |first1=Kathy |title=A Page in History |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-page-in-history,199054? |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 7, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=State's Second Church |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1907/06-21/ |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |issue=1 |date=June 28, 1907 |page=1}}</ref> At the dedication in 1858, under Methodist reverend John F, DeVore, the church was without debt due in part to community donations. The first pastor was Rev. John Harper.{{r|WPCMT}}{{efn|Sourcing refers to first pastor Rev. John Harper under the last name of Harwood.{{r|APTRH}}}}
Required by the original deed, the building was to be of use as a schoolhouse for up to seven years.{{r|CAMTP}} Opened as the "Claquato Academy",{{efn|The hand-painted sign for Claquato Academy was created by the church's first pastor, Rev. Harper.{{r|WPCMT}}}} it was the second school district in the Washington Territory and lasted until a new school was built in 1864.<ref name="CCTBR">{{cite news |title=Claquato Church To Be Restored |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1928/05-11/page-9/ |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=May 11, 1928 |page=9}}</ref>{{r|ABLAT}} Female teachers at the time were known as the "Mercer Girls".{{r|RASSA}} When the county seat moved from Claquato to Chehalis in 1874, the church began to lose its congregants though services continued into the 1930s.{{r|APIH}} For a brief time between 1880 and 1882, the church was used again for Presbyterian services.{{r|APIH}} In 1882, the property was deeded to the Claquato community.{{r|PCVCC}} The same year, the original Presbyterian congregation shifted to a site in Chehalis that was used for a pole yard by the county public utility district; the congregation constructed and opened the Westminster Presbyterian Church on Market Boulevard by 1908.<ref>{{cite news |last1=VanTuyl |first1=Aaron |title=Westminster Presbyterian celebrates 150 years |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/westminster-presbyterian-celebrates-150-years,227726? |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=September 30, 2005}}</ref>
===20th century and restoration periods=== By 1925, the church was noted to be in a state of decay.<ref>{{cite news |title=To Organize Pioneers |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1925/06-19/page-49 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=June 19, 1925 |page=6}}</ref> Not until May 1928 were plans organized to begin efforts to restore the historic church, initiated by the St. Helen's Club of Chehalis who had previously in the decade restored the Jackson Courthouse. Though the structure was found to be sound, the white-painted clapboard and green shutters were faded and the top of the bell tower, described as a "spiraled cupola", was considered "a bit weather beaten.{{r|CCTBR}} Efforts stalled and the project restarted by church trustees in January 1929.<ref>{{cite news |title=Claquato Church May Be Restored |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1929/01-12/page-5 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Centralia Daily Chronicle |date=January 12, 1929 |page=5}}</ref> The Salvation Army began services later that year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Salvation Army To Use Historic Claquato Church |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1929/09-27/ |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Chehalis-Bee Nugget |issue=18 |date=September 27, 1929 |page=1}}</ref>
Vandals attempted to push the "crown of thorns" steeple off the roof in 1930.{{r|WPCMT}} The church was rededicated in 1933{{r|PCVCC}} and occasional religious services and Sunday school classes were held into the late 1930s.{{r|APIH}}<ref name="ROQCA">{{cite news |title=Renovation of Quaint Church at Claquato Nearly Done |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1953/07-23/ |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Centralia Daily Chronicle |date=July 23, 1953 |page=1}}</ref>{{sfn|McDonald Zander|2011|p=17}} In September 1934, the church, in recognition of having held the first Methodist service in Washington Territory, was a stopping point during a 100th anniversary celebration of Methodist missionary, Jason Lee. The event included a motorized "Covered Wagon" caravan led by Jay Samuel Stowell.<ref>{{cite news |title=Historic Event To Be Celebrated In Chehalis Tuesday |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/chehalis/chehalis-bee-nugget/1934/08-31/page-12 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Chehalis Bee-Nugget |date=August 31, 1934 |page=5}}</ref> A windstorm in November 1934 damaged the roof and fence gate; the Muckleshoot Tribe helped to raise funds to repair the church.<ref name="LB">{{cite news |author1=The News Tribune staff |title=Looking Back |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=NewsBank&docref=news/12BD3C3892121170 |access-date=July 28, 2025 |work=The News Tribune |date=November 6, 2009 |page=A02 |id={{NewsBank text|12BD3C3892121170}} |via=NewsBank |url-access=registration}}</ref> Due to the economic conditions of the Great Depression and increased vandalism of the church, the county began unofficial oversight of the property, boarding up windows and padlocking the door.<ref name="COECQ">{{cite news |title=Control Of Early Church Questioned |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1969/02-01/page-10 |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=February 1, 1969 |page=10}}</ref>
Lewis County undertook ownership of the Claquato Church site in December 1948 under a quit claim deed.{{r|LCTSH}}{{r|APTRH}}<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grove |first1=Larry E. |title=Deed 451768 |url=https://quickdocs.lewiscountywa.gov/recorder/eagleweb/viewDoc.jsp?node=DOCCLF-120080 |website=Auditor File Number 451768 |publisher=Lewis County Auditor's Office |date=June 12, 2025| access-date=July 17, 2025}}</ref> The building and grounds have been owned by the Lewis County Parks commission since 1952 for use as a public facility, however faith services were no longer held.{{r|APIH}}
The site remained vacant until efforts were made in the early 1950s to restore the church.{{r|APIH}}{{r|ROQCA}} A local chapter of the American Legion was reported to have taken interest in restoring the church in 1950{{r|WPCMT}} and an effort to renovate the church as a memorial was started in March 1952; a group known as the Chehalis United Youth Movement partnered with the American Legion, which was to supply materials.<ref>{{cite news |title=Youth Group To Adopt Claquato Church As Project |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1952/03-05/page-3 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=March 5, 1952 |page=3}}</ref> Plans were announced that October, with oversight of the project being placed under a community group and the legion post, with hopes to complete the restoration in time for Claquato's centennial in 1953.<ref>{{cite news |title=Restoration of Territorial Church To Be Launched by New Community Group |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1952/10-08/page-9 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=October 8, 1952 |page=9}}</ref> The restoration was completed in August 1953; the church was rededicated on August 16, 1953<ref>{{cite news |title=Oldest Territorial Church Rededicated |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/walla-walla/walla-walla-union-bulletin/1953/08-17/page-2 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=Walla Walla Union-Bulletin |agency=Associated Press |date=August 17, 1953 |page=2}}</ref> as a memorial to honor early pioneers of Lewis County.{{r|nrhpdoc}} A crowd of 700 people were reported to have attended the ceremony.<ref>{{cite news |title=Early-Day Church Is Rededication Scene |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1953/08-17/page-1 |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=August 17, 1953 |page=1}}</ref> The event was covered by several wire services and a reporter for the New York Times was dispatched to the event.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gets Recognition |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1953/11-27/page-7 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=November 27, 1953 |page=7}}</ref> Four members of the American Legion were awarded by the Washington State Centennial committee the following year in recognition for their efforts.<ref>{{cite news |title=Receive Awards |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1954/03-13/page-7 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=March 13, 1954 |page=7}}</ref>
An official committee to continue to preserve and maintain the church as an historic landmark was formed in November 1956.<ref>{{cite news |title=Name Body To Help Church |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1956/11-02/page-1 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=November 2, 1956 |page=1}}</ref> A $1,000 fund through the county was set aside for such purposes, initially used in 1958 for standard upkeep and painting and were the first repairs since 1953.<ref>{{cite news |title=Noted Church To Get Repair |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1957/06-14 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=June 14, 1957 |pages=1, 2}}</ref> A 100th anniversary of the church was held on August 10, 1958 and a bronze memorial plaque was dedicated, provided by the Daughters of Pioneers of Washington. A booklet on the history of the church was given to attendees and the opening ceremonies were started with the ringing of the original church bell.<ref>{{cite news |title=Quaint Claquato Church Is Prepared for Sunday Afternoon Centennial Program |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1958/08-06/page-1 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=August 6, 1958 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Tolling of 1857 Bell Will Open Claquato Centennial |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1958/08-09/page-1 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=August 9, 1958 |page=1}}</ref> Despite the restoration efforts and attempts for caretaker maintenance, upkeep of the church remained a struggle, often failing to open for community occasions. A two-person volunteer "committee" began oversight of the Claquato Church by the 1960s, allowing the historic landmark to be open to the public for religious services.{{r|COECQ}} The church was dedicated again on August 16, 1963.<ref>{{cite news |title=Claquato Launched Our Church History |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1966/10-10/page-88 |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=October 10, 1966 |page=D2}}</ref>
Management of the site was proposed to be handed over to the Lewis County Historical Society in 1969 though opposition was strongly noted, finding the county had more than enough funds to cover the basic maintenance costs of the church and grounds.{{r|COECQ}} The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.<ref>{{cite news |title=Church joins national list |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1973/06-04/ |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=June 4, 1973}}</ref>
===21st century=== The church held a 150th anniversary in 2008.{{r|150AOC}}<ref>{{cite news |title=Quaint Claquato Church Is Prepared For Sunday Afternoon Centennial Program |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1958/08-06/ |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Centralia Daily Chronicle |date=August 6, 1958 |page=1}}</ref>
The church was in need of repairs by the 2020s; rot and water leaks were apparent. The Claquato Cemetery Board proposed, with financial backing in place, to restore the landmark. Part of the plan included the replacement of the roof using original-style cedar shake, estimated to cost $400,000.<ref name="APTRH">{{cite news |last1=Mittge |first1=Brian |title=A plan to restore historic Claquato Church |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-plan-to-restore-historic-claquato-church,384204 |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 18, 2025}}</ref>{{r|NLIOO}} To protect the site, the county passed a covenant clause in June 2025, disallowing the property to be developed in a way which would cause "destruction, loss or damage" of the landmark.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grove |first1=Larry E. |title=Declaration of Covenant |url=https://quickdocs.lewiscountywa.gov/recorder/eagleweb/viewDoc.jsp?node=DOC689S150 |website=Auditor File Number 3623607 |publisher=Lewis County Auditor's Office |date=June 12, 2025| access-date=July 17, 2025}}</ref> The Lewis County commissioner board announced the following July that the church and surrounding land lot were to be put up for sale via auction. Declaring the historic location as surplus, the board cited excess maintenance and repair costs. Lack of public funds were also noted, associated with financial and maintenance demands of other county properties such as the Lewis County Historical Museum and the Southwest Fairgrounds. The county deemed that "no value" was derived from the church and property.<ref name="LCTSH">{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Jacob |title=Lewis County to sell historic Claquato Church property |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-to-sell-historic-claquato-church-property,384072 |access-date=July 16, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 15, 2025}}</ref><ref name="saleNotice">{{Cite web |date=July 16, 2025 |title=Issue call for bids / proposals for Claquato Church property - parcel No. 018520000000. Proposals must be received by 3 p.m. July 31 |url=https://lewiscountywa.gov/offices/commissioners/bocc-legal-notices/issue-call-for-bids-proposals-for-claquato-church-property-parcel-no-018520000000-proposals-must-be-received-by-3-pm-july-31/ |access-date=July 17, 2025 |website=BOCC Legal Notices |publisher=Lewis County, Washington |language=en}}</ref>
The county required a formal proposal for the preservation of the church building to be considered along with a sealed monetary bid for the sale, accepted until the end of July 2025.{{r|APTRH}}{{r|saleNotice}} The sale of the church was officially announced by the county on October 21, 2025. The Claquato (Church) Cemetery Board, the only bidder for the historic site, purchased the entire property for $5,000. The board announced plans to immediately restore the church at an initial investment of almost $2.8 million. The project is to save the church in its original form but convert the usage of the building into a community space and visitor center, similar to that of the Graham Visitors Center at Washington Park Arboretum in Seattle.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Moore |first1=Jacob |title=Lewis County sells Claquato Church |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-sells-claquato-church,389628 |access-date=October 23, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 22, 2025}}</ref>
<gallery class="center"> File:Claquato, Washington 01.jpg|Claquato Academy, 1869 File:Claquato Church 01.jpg|Claquato Church, unpainted, {{circa}} 1880s File:Claquato Church 03.jpg|Claquato Church, 1891 File:Claquato Church, Lewis County, Washington, circa 1917.jpg|Exterior {{Circa|1900}} File:Claquato Church, Lewis County, Washington (cropped).jpg|Claquato Church, {{circa|1948}} </gallery>
==Geography== thumb|Claquato Church and grounds, 2025 Situated on a {{convert|0.37|acre|ha|adj=mid}} parcel,{{r|APTRH}} Claquato Church is located off State Route 6 in the community of Claquato, once the county seat of Lewis County on Military Road, the early main thoroughfare between the Columbia River and Steilacoom.{{r|nrhpdoc}}<ref name="ECOWS">{{cite book |author1=Arnold Pearson |author2=Esther Pearson |title=Early Churches of Washington State |date=1980 |publisher=University of Washington Press |location=Seattle |isbn=0-295-95713-1 |page=20 |url=https://archive.org/details/earlychurchesofw00pear/page/20/mode/2up}}</ref> The road was a part of the Cowlitz Trail.<ref name="FAFIH">{{cite news |last1=Olsen |first1=Erik |title=Fixing a failure in history |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/fixing-a-failure-in-history,226433? |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=November 26, 2005}}</ref> The church is approximately {{convert|3|mi}} west of Chehalis and is situated on what once known as Claquato Hill.{{r|nrhpdoc}}
The name, Claquato ({{respell|klah|quay|tow}}), is a local word of the indigenous Upper Chehalis that has been translated to mean "high", "high ground", "high prairie", or "the high place".<ref name="WPCMT">{{cite news |last1=Mohr |first1=Opal |title=Well-preserved church monument to pioneer faith |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1976/07-02/page-34 |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 2, 1976 |page=D14}}</ref>{{sfn|McDonald Zander|2011|p=16}}<ref name="ABLAT">{{cite news |last1=Skinner |first1=Andy |title=A Brief Look at the Rich History of the Claquato Church and Cemetery |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/a-brief-look-at-the-rich-history-of-the-claquato-church-and-cemetery,19697 |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=February 2, 2018}}</ref>
==Architecture and features== thumb|"Crown of Thorns", 2025 thumb|Interior and original pews, 2025 Unless otherwise noted, the details provided are based on the 1973 National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) nomination form and may not reflect updates or changes to the Claquato Church in the interim.<ref name="nrhpdoc">{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=73001882}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Claquato Church |publisher=National Park Service|author= James O. Backman|date= July 1972 |access-date=July 22, 2025}} With {{NRHP url|id=91001497|photos=y|title=accompanying pictures}}{{source-attribution}}</ref>
The {{convert|600|sqft|m2|adj=on}} church was built by a group of volunteers under the oversight of John Duff Clinger, brother-in-law to Lewis Davis.{{r|PCVCC}}{{r|ECOWS}}{{r|WPCMT}} The design mirrored that of the First Methodist Church in Portland, Oregon.<ref name="RASSA">{{cite news |title=Rites Are Scheduled Sunday at Region's First Worship Center |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1953/08-13/page-8 |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=August 13, 1953 |page=8}}</ref> The first lumber milled by the new sawmill in the town was used in the construction.{{r|PCVCC}} Nails used to construct the church were forged by the town's blacksmith.{{r|WPCMT}}
A lack of nearby residential or commercial development, as well as a lack of major fires, has allowed the church to remain in its original location and architectural style.{{sfn|McDonald Zander|2011|p=18}}
===Exterior=== The {{convert|20|x|30|ft|abbr=on}} structure features an belfry and crown steeple modeled after mid-nineteenth century New England meeting houses, topped by a wooden crown of thorns. The bell tower features two sections with numerous louvers; the bottom of the tower is square while the top portion is octagonal.<ref name="CAMTP">{{cite news |last1=Blomdahl |first1=George |title=Claquato : A Monument to Pioneer Energy |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1969/05-10/page-12/ |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=May 10, 1969 |page=2}}</ref>{{r|WPCMT}}{{sfn|McDonald Zander|2011|p=15}} The belfry is constructed in mortise and tenon fashion, including at the gable eaves.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Writer's Program of the Works Progress Administration |title=Washington : A Guide to the Evergreen State |date=1941 |publisher=Binford & Mort |location=Portland, Oregon |page=493 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001444313 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |via=HathiTrust}}</ref> The bell, purchased and installed for $100,{{r|CCTBR}} was manufactured in 1857 by the Henry Hooper and Company from Boston and is such inscribed; during delivery, the bell was shipped around Cape Horn.{{r|ROQCA}}{{efn|The NRHP form mentions the bell to be manufactured under the name of Henry A. Harper despite evidence to the contrary. See sources in the section for the discrepancy.}}
The siding was built of whip-sawn boards and the entrance doors featured hand-mortising and pegs.{{r|CAMTP}} Clinger, who built the doors, also built the door and window casements.{{r|ECOWS}}
===Interior=== The sanctuary, which seats 70 people, is listed at {{convert|20|x|23|ft|abbr=on}} in dimension.{{r|APIH}}{{r|WPCMT}} Wood planks initially used to build the church are visible in the vestibule and the belfry{{r|PCVCC}}<ref name="150AOC">{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Eric |title=150th Anniversary of Church Celebrated |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/150th-anniversary-of-church-celebrated,198822? |access-date=July 25, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 14, 2008}}</ref> The church has gone without a modern heat source, considered a benefit to the structure's stability as long-term issues of condensation were avoided.{{r|APTRH}}
The interior contains twelve, white-painted pews originally donated by residents of Boistfort, who also hand-built the pulpit using wood from the original church organ.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thanksgiving Day Observance Here Will Include Opening Famed Claquato Church |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1957/11-21/page-16/ |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Centralia Daily Chronicle |date=October 21, 1957 |page=16}}</ref><ref name="NLIOO">{{cite news |last1=Mittge |first1=Brian |title=New life in our oldest church |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/brian-mittge-new-life-in-our-oldest-church,384236? |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=July 18, 2025}}</ref> A second instrument, a pump organ manufactured in the late 19th century, was noted to remain by 1994.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pioneer group to conduct Memorial Day church tours |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/1994/05-27/page-8 |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 27, 1994 |page=A8}}</ref>
===Restorations=== thumb|Before 1929 restoration, missing "crown of thorns" A small renovation project, for repairs and the need for a new floor, was completed in 1929.{{r|CCTBR}} The bell tower was repaired after the 1930 vandalization attempt.{{r|WPCMT}} New shutters were constructed beginning in September 1942.<ref>{{cite news |title=Additional Chehalis News |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1942/09-24/page-8 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=September 24, 1942 |page=8}}</ref>
The 1953 renovation, overseen by American Legion Chehalis Post Number 22,{{r|ECOWS}} made no structural changes to the building but did include restoring the original woodwork, repairing the belfry, hanging new mid-19th century style wallpaper, and refinishing the exterior.{{r|ROQCA}}{{r|RASSA}} The louvers, roof, and front steps were replaced and the foundation repaired.{{r|CAMTP}} In 2006, the crown of thorns on the steeple was restored.<ref name="RSBHA">{{cite news |last1=The Chronicle Staff |title=Roadside sights bring history alive |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/roadside-sights-bring-history-alive,221825? |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=May 22, 2006}}</ref>
===Grounds=== With the purpose to add to the "rustic setting" of the site, hardwood trees were planted in 1961.<ref>{{cite news |title=Claquato Church Site To Get Hardwood Trees |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1961/07-24/page-1 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=July 24, 1961 |page=1}}</ref> An interpretive map sign, showing the layout of Claquato during its peak in the 18th century, was placed in front of the church in 1966. The map was handmade by Chehalis park superintendent, Stan Hedwall.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pioneer Village Mapped - photo caption |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1966/04-09/page-1 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=April 9, 1966}}</ref>
After the church's placement on the NRHP, the Lewis County Historical Society (LCHS) proposed in December 1973 that a plaque denoting the historical designation be placed at the church.<ref>{{cite news |title=Meeting plans made by historical society |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1973/12-06/page-3 |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=December 6, 1973 |page=3}}</ref> The marker was affixed to a rock and installed outside the front entrance by 1976.<ref>{{cite news |title=Historical society on tour |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1976/07-26/page-2 |access-date=July 24, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=July 26, 1976 |page=2}}</ref>
Claquato Church was one of the last sites in Lewis County, along with the city of Chehalis, to honor Ezra Meeker and his Oregon Trail journeys. Efforts to install a monument began in 2005.{{r|FAFIH}} The marker was installed in April 2006 under the direction of the LCHS.{{r|RSBHA}}
<gallery class="center"> File:Claquato Church 04.jpg|Pioneer Village of Claquato interpretative map, 2025 File:Claquato Church 05.jpg|Oregon Trail and Ezra Meeker marker, 2025 File:Claquato Church 06.jpg|NRHP plaque, 2025 File:Claquato Church 07.jpg|Plaque, 1958 centennial </gallery>
===Extinct features=== thumb|upright=0.7|Claquato Cemetery, 2025 thumb|upright=0.7|Pioneer Fir plaque, 2025 A pastor's chair, constructed and installed along with the pews, is no longer in existence.{{r|nrhpdoc}} The item was noted to not have been returned to the church after the 1953 restoration.<ref>{{cite news |title=Thanksgiving Day Observance Here Will Include Opening Famed Claquato Church |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1957/11-21/page-16 |access-date=July 23, 2025 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=November 21, 1957 |page=16}}</ref>
===Claquato Cemetery=== The Claquato Cemetery, located one block north of the church, is home to the "Pioneer Fir", a Douglas fir that was used as a waypoint in the early days of pioneer travel. A bronze memorial plaque, fastened to a fir tree at the cemetery, honors the first non-Native settlers in Claquato and was dedicated in 1937.<ref>{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle staff |title=Enjoy Some Roadside History |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-chronicle/2007/04-28/page-52 |access-date=July 1, 2024 |work=The Chronicle |date=April 27, 2007 |page=14}}</ref><ref name="HCITU">{{cite book |last1=Haskins |first1=Frederic J. |title=Historic Churches in the United States |date=1938 |publisher=The Columbia Dispatch; Haskin Information Service |location=Washington, D.C. |page=46 |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102475169 |access-date=July 22, 2025 |via=HathiTrust}}</ref> A bible gifted to Claquato Church in 1860 is displayed at the cemetery's office.{{r|NLIOO}}
The cemetery, separately owned from the church under the Claquato Cemetery Board,{{r|NLIOO}} was built out of portions of the original Davis land claim, with the Davis family beginning the burial site in 1856. The cemetery was expanded in the 1920s with a section for members of the local International Order of Oddfellows chapter in 1893; a "Baby Rose Garden", meant for infant burials, was begun in the 1920s under the direction of the Claquato Cemetery Association. By 1936, the cemetery covered {{convert|86|acre|ha}} after another addition to the grounds.{{r|ABLAT}}
{{Quote box | title = Claquato Pioneer Fir | quote = Claquato Pioneer Fir<br/> A Shelter For First Settlers<br/> Dedicated 1937 As A Memorial To Their Fortitude{{r|HCITU}} | align = center | width = 30% | qalign = center }}
==Significance== Claquato Church is the oldest standing church building in the state of Washington<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.pacificcohistory.org/sw2006_2.htm#11|journal=The Sou'wester|page=11|volume=XLII|number=2 and 3|edition=Summer and Fall 2006|author=Pacific County Historical Society and Museum|issn=0038-4984|title=Sou'wester Summer 2006 Double|access-date=January 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229235629/http://www.pacificcohistory.org/sw2006_2.htm#11|archive-date=February 29, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Carrina |title=Chehalis Couple Bringing Services Back to Historic Claquato Church |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/chehalis-couple-bringing-services-back-to-historic-claquato-church,22958? |access-date=December 22, 2021 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 6, 2017}}</ref>{{efn|The church was recognized as the oldest standing church as early as 1934.{{r|LB}}}} and the second oldest structure, after the Jackson Courthouse, in Lewis County.{{r|ROQCA}} Considered the last of the Washington Territory churches to remain,{{efn|The 1973 NRHP form lists the St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Port Townsend, Washington, built in 1865, as an exception to the consideration of Claquato Church being the one of the last religious service structures still standing.{{r|nrhpdoc}}}} the building was the second Protestant house of worship constructed in the incorporated region.<ref name="PCVCC">{{cite news |title=Public can view Claquato Church following services on Memorial Day |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1977/05-25/page-20 |access-date=July 31, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=May 25, 1977 |page=22}}</ref>{{efn|The NRHP form states that Claquato Church was the third such Protestant church built in the "entire vast area north of the Columbia River". Whether this is an error pertaining strictly to the Washington Territory, or was meant to include parts of Canada, is not known per the form.}}
The site was added to the Washington State Register of Historic Places, via the state's Advisory Council of Historic Preservation, in January 1973.<ref>{{cite news |title=Two sites on register |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/washington/centralia/centralia-daily-chronicle/1973/01-17/page-12 |access-date=September 12, 2024 |work=The Daily Chronicle |date=January 17, 1973 |page=15}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Property ID: 700170 Claquato Church |url=https://wisaard.dahp.wa.gov/Resource/662580 |access-date=July 17, 2025 | website=Washington Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data |publisher=Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation}}</ref> In recognition of the historical importance of Claquato Church, the building and grounds were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 24, 1973.{{r|nrhpdoc}}
==See also== *List of the oldest churches in the United States *List of the oldest buildings in Washington (state) *National Register of Historic Places listings in Lewis County, Washington
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References==
===Bibliography=== * {{cite book |last1=McDonald Zander |first1=Julie |title=Images of America - Chehalis |date=2011 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=9780738576039 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NaVwkcPhFwEC |access-date=July 24, 2025}}
===References=== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{commons category-inline}} * [https://discoverlewiscounty.com/play/claquato-church/ Discover Lewis County - Claquato Church] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/a61a0f00-a802-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Lewis County Historical Society and Museum - Claquato Church, photo, exterior, pre-1929 restoration] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/c1b97070-a802-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Lewis County Historical Society and Museum - Claquato Church, photo, interior of fallen brick chimney, pre-1929 restoration] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/2b2ed090-a803-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Lewis County Historical Society and Museum - Claquato Church, photo, interior of collapsed ceiling, pre-1929 restoration] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/3a79b130-a805-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Lewis County Historical Society and Museum - Claquato Church, photo, interior, 1930s] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/3ade6670-a805-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Lewis County Historical Society and Museum - Claquato Church, photo, exterior, pre-1953 restoration] * [https://hub.catalogit.app/10164/folder/entry/82ebe7a0-a803-11ed-9fcc-5b384716e3e8 Lewis County Historical Society and Museum - Claquato Church, photo, interior, 1982] * [https://www.pbs.org/video/claquato-church-joxvbk/ PBS - Claquato Church, short video documentary, 2019]
{{National Register of Historic Places}} {{National Register of Historic Places listings in Lewis County, Washington}} {{National Register of Historic Places in Washington}}
Category:Methodist churches in Washington (state) Category:Buildings and structures in Lewis County, Washington Category:Churches on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) Category:National Register of Historic Places in Lewis County, Washington Category:Chehalis, Washington